Tag: flowers

February 15th – A brighter day, but windy. As long as the sun is out though, this’ll do me. Nipping across town in Darlaston on an errand, what better day to nip into Victoria Park and do a bit of snowdrop spotting?

This winter is strange. Just as I think it’s beaten me, we have a nice day, and I’m saved for a while.

I’ll never tire of this place.

February 12th – The miniature daffodils in Kings Hill Park are always early, and after the frost and snow of the previous night had meted away in the afternoon warmth, I popped to take a look.

The park’s spring flowers are really gearing up for a great display now and I was so pleased to see them.

Welcome back, my little yellow flashes of spring. Welcome back.

February 7th – A bitterly cold morning with temperatures recorded by the GPS as low as minus five degrees centigrade and a very harsh ride to the station. 

There was a fair bit of black ice and concentration was intense.

My longed for spring would seem to be on hold a little, but hopefully the daffodils – now forming buds on the verge outside my destination in Telford- won’t be deterred.

February 1st – I’d say February already? But it doesn’t seem like that. It’s been a hard, difficult, intemperate month I’m glad to see the back of it. But it is a shock we’re already a twelfth through 2018. But then, the first months of the year always go like that; a twelfth, a sixth, a quarter, a third. Such is the elegance of modulo 12.

Passing through Tyseley in the morning, with a surprisingly warm sun on my back, it was almost spring, with Easter primroses in the planters and a lovely feel to the city air.

Sadly, my joy is a little premature, but good while it lasts…

January 29th – I got to work, then it rained. It had not been a great morning – then I realised I needed to pop down to the retail park at Junction 9. I took a short cut through a glistening, dripping Kings Hill Park.

Jack in the Green has tapped his cane upon the ground, and you can almost hear the shoots and buds straining to get up and into bloom.

Watching over it all, the resplendent, shining converted chapel, looking splendid in it’s temporary shiny jacket.

Despite the rain, I was filled with joy and optimism for a new season just starting.

January 24th – The awful news of the tragic, senseless death has left me, like many other local people, hollow, hurting and shell shocked. It has cast a long shadow over the town and a community reels in shock.

Getting to work after riding in a torrential, early morning downpour, I was wet, spare, lost and disheartened.

But then, on the grass outside the front of my workplace, I noticed specks of white in the gloom I expected to be spilled polystyrene or litter.

They wer daisies. optimistic, bright, open daisies, pushing for the sky, hopeful of sun, better days and spring.

And after finding them, I was just a little bit lighter.

January 18th – Back to work, and very slow on the bike, but the fresh air and feeling of purpose helped me lots.

Passing through Kings Hill Park whose solace and peace I could have done with in the past few days, I was encouraged to see that despite the cold and grey, spring is arranging the furniture and getting the staff ready for another performance.

Can’t wait. Hopefully I’ll be a bit better on the bike by then…

November 14th – I had to go to Telford, and I was keen to see the work on the footbridge replacement is really moving on apace now. 

Sectional fencing is up, footpaths and steps have closed, barriers are up and alternate footways tarmac and ready. 

And the sad realisation that a favourite station flowerbed was set to be lost, with an excavator standing by.

Oh well, that’s progress for you…

October 30th – On my return, I popped into Kings Hill Park since it was such a beautiful afternoon. There was nobody around, peace reigned – apart from the normal industrial sounds of Darlaston living and breathing, which is a sort of background music to me now – and the only activity was from Mrs. Squirrel here, checking me out for food.

Sore from the hospital and feeling weary after the ride, I sat and thought, had a snack and something to drink, and gently recharged in my nowhere garden.

The park looks even better in it’s current cloak of autumn, with beautiful flowers still in bloom and the leaves turning so prettily.

This is one of the gems of the Black Country, yet what tour guide ever mentions Kings Hill Park? What guidebook ever dared to breathe the name?

This is just our peaceful, beautiful secret. And I love it so.